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Will new Montgomery bowl game have impact on Mobile's GoDaddy Bowl?

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Arkansas State linebacker LeAngelo Albright celebrates the Red Wolves' 17-13 win over Kent State in last season's GoDaddy.com Bowl. The game is now known as the GoDaddy Bowl and it continues to match teams from the Sun Belt Conference and Mid-American Conference. A new bowl announced Monday, the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, will also match Sun Belt and MAC team. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

MOBILE, Alabama -- Jerry Silverstein, president of Mobile's GoDaddy Bowl, said Monday he isn't concerned that a new bowl game is headed to the state that will, like his bowl game, offer a Sun Belt vs. Mid-American Conference matchup.

"I don't think it matters,'' Silverstein said in a telephone interview with AL.com Monday afternoon. "You have different fan bases for each one of the teams. I think that it's probably a positive that our game being here, both leagues have shown they will travel to Mobile. Coming to our state and our climate and the hospitality we have here in Mobile can be duplicated in Montgomery.

"With ESPN being behind the game this now is ESPN buying bowl games that they are involved in, that they have ownership in around the country. That's a solid base and solid ground (for a new bowl) and I think it was probably a good move for the conferences to tie in to ESPN and the bowl game in Montgomery. I think it ought to work out well.''

Montgomery officials and officials with the Sun Belt and MAC made the announcement Monday that the Camellia Bowl, to be owned by ESPN and played in Montgomery's recently renovated Cramton Bowl, will begin in December of 2014. It will match up teams from the two leagues.

The GoDaddy Bowl and its contract with the leagues stipulates the Mobile bowl will get either the first or second choice from both leagues in selecting teams to participate in the game.

"Our contract states that we get the first or second selection of each of the conferences,'' Silverstein said. "The New Orleans Bowl actually gets the first selection from the Sun Belt but they have to take the (league) champion two out of (every) four years. That can be interpreted however, and we have gotten the first selection (from the Sun Belt) a couple of times. So we'll have one of the first two selections from each conference.''

Silverstein noted the GoDaddy Bowl gets the first selection from the MAC for the upcoming bowl to be played in January.

"It's not a surprise,'' Silverstein said of the announcement of the Cameillia Bowl. "... The group of (non-automatic qualifying) conference have been working to assure themselves of games instead of being backups in other (bowl) games. With the onslaught of new bowl games coming to the table and the addition of new Division I teams and a bigger pool of teams to choose from, it opens up room for more bowl games under NCAA rules and how teams qualify for a bowl bid. These leagues are just positioning themselves to have guaranteed games instead of being the backup (league) in some games.''

Sun Belt Conference commissioner Karl Benson said the main goal for the league was to secure a third bowl tie-in for the league.

"That we have a third guaranteed spot, despite the location, is high on our list,'' Benson said. "To get a bowl game that is in the footprint of the Sun Belt, and right in the heart of the Sun Belt, one could argue that despite New Mexico State and Idaho and Texas State that the other eight football-playing members of the Sun Belt (in the future) are all within driving distance of Montgomery.

"That's the second part. Then you throw in that it's going to be an ESPN-managed bowl, that allows the Sun Belt to gain a bowl game that has immediate credibility and has immediate good business model.''

Benson lauded the strong support of the City of Montgomery, the improvements to Cramton Bowl and an expected announcement soon of a title sponsor "that's a local company,'' adds to the optimism of being involved with the Camellia Bowl. "I think it's going to be a great addition for the Sun Belt.''

He said there may be a fourth Sun Belt bowl tie-in added soon. The league is in discussions with other cities that are looking to create a new bowl. One of those cities is home to a Sun Belt school -- Little Rock, Ark. -- though Arkansas-Little Rock does not field a football team.